Nexia Thermostat Evaluate: Advantages, Choices & Value

Your thermostat is the mind of your HVAC system. If it doesn’t match the complexity of the gear, you’re shedding out on a whole lot of choices. These choices contribute to your power prices and residential consolation.

You may as well get a screensaver in your thermostat. I gained’t fake that that’s the primary cause they’re helpful. There are a dozen more-important capabilities to an excellent thermostat. However heck, it may be enjoyable to have the additional bells & whistles.

The Nexia residence thermostat is a step past most different thermostats available on the market proper now. It’s not the one sort of thermostat we set up and endorse right here at Fireplace & Ice, but it surely’s undoubtedly the most effective.

This text goes to interrupt down what you get while you set up a Nexia thermostat and why these choices are essential. Lastly, we’ll speak in regards to the worth. We wish you to know all the main points, and that features how a lot you may need to pay for a Nexia thermostat system. Let’s soar in…

What’s a Nexia Thermostat?

Within the easiest phrases, it’s a Wifi thermostat, which suggests it’s appropriate with quite a lot of smart-home expertise in ways in which non-wifi thermostats aren’t.

The Nexia makes use of Z-wave expertise, which isn’t proprietary to Nexia. Until it’s in a separate proprietary system, a whole lot of smart-home expertise makes use of Z-wave expertise. Very similar to Bluetooth-compatible units can all speak to at least one one other, which means Z-wave units are appropriate.

Z-wave is utilized by every part from safety methods to smart-home home equipment. It’s additionally utilized in HVAC.

For our functions, we’re going to be speaking about three Nexia thermostats: the 824, 850, and 1050 fashions. These are designed to pair with Trane or American Customary HVAC methods.

Whereas there are totally different ranges of sophistication to Nexia methods, every of those fashions can talk wirelessly along with your main HVAC gear. On the easiest stage, this implies turning on and off your air conditioner, warmth pump, or furnace. At greater ranges of sophistication, it means far more.

For HVAC functions, 4 extra capabilities are essentially the most essential:

1. The flexibility to regulate the fan velocity in your system to assist with dehumidification, however with out having to run your A/C unit.
2. The flexibility to regulate a variable-speed system.
3. The flexibility to study by way of algorithms that optimize your property’s effectivity and luxury.
4. Nexia Diagnostics

Nexia Diagnostics

We might have buried the lead. Nexia Diagnostics is a perform unique to Nexia that separates it from many related units available on the market.

This method hyperlinks your thermostat to your Nexia service supplier. That’s often the contractor who put in the system for you.

The thermostat has a diagnostic perform that can scan your HVAC system for potential issues. These issues are then relayed to your servicing contractor, who can learn and interpret the information to take any crucial actions.

It is a massive deal. Whereas nothing can change routine upkeep, issues do crop up finally with most methods. The sooner you deal with them, the higher.

As such, Nexia Diagnostics may simply be the distinction between a $200 service go to and a $2,000 restore a month later.

This performance comes customary with the system. Beneath, we speak about prices, however the diagnostic performance is an ordinary a part of any Nexia HVAC package deal.

And to be clear, different thermostat methods have diagnostic capabilities. The distinction is in having the ability to sync that knowledge straight along with your service supplier. Often, the analysis is inside solely, so it may well’t be considered with out being within the residence. So within the case of a minor subject, you may need a service technician come to your property (which can value a charge) when it’s not crucial.

Safety and Privateness

I wish to make two issues clear in regards to the diagnostics system:

1. All knowledge that’s despatched is encrypted.
2. It’s opt-in, not necessary, with a Nexia system.

If that is one thing you don’t need, it’s solely non-compulsory. Nevertheless, for a lot of, it represents a tangible profit for his or her HVAC system.

Nexia Sensible-Dwelling Choices

What does it imply to be “good.” Effectively, for starters, it means by no means placing pineapple on pizza…

Oh, sorry, we have been speaking about HVAC methods. Proper, the place was I?

Most fashionable thermostats are going to be programmable out of your cellphone or central console. That is “programmable,” although, not “good.”

To be good implies that the system is studying. You see, a smart-home HVAC system goes to have the ability to learn the indoor temperature, the out of doors temperature, the humidity stage, and can alter accordingly. This may end in adjusting the blower motor energy in your furnace or air handler at numerous intervals, to provide constant, even temperature and humidity. It is likely to be shutting on or off sooner after studying how a lot time it can take in your residence to chill down or warmth up at sure temperatures.

You even have the choice of establishing extra sensors. These, along with your central thermostat, present extra knowledge factors in your thermostat to have the ability to correctly management your HVAC system. A single thermostat in, say, a eating room is ok, however you may obtain extra granular management by having a number of sensors all through your property. The Nexia can deal with all of it.

Lastly, because it makes use of Z-wave wifi, it may well sync to different smart-home units resembling doorbells, locks, alarms, home equipment, and different “good” home goods.

No matter your setup, being “good” implies that your system will get higher and extra environment friendly, or smarter, over time.

After we set up a Nexia thermostat at Fireplace & Ice, we at all times schedule a go to shortly after set up. It’s at this appointment that we evaluation all choices with the home-owner. It’s right here that we be certain that their humidity ranges are set (and easy methods to alter them), and that it’s monitoring all of the variables that will likely be wanted to supply environment friendly consolation.

HVAC Gear Compatibility

We speak about this so much as a result of it’s essential. Gear must be correctly matched so that you simply’re getting the complete profit.

What does this imply for thermostats?

The first instance goes to be with variable-speed gear. The Nexia 824 thermostat is just for single-stage or two-stag gear (that means, it solely has one or two energy settings). Probably the most refined expertise has tons of of settings, which permits for lots extra management over your property’s temperature.

So in case your system must be at 57% energy, however the thermostat can solely inform it to be at 100% or 70%, you’re losing power while you shouldn’t be.

The 850 and 1050 fashions are perfect for variable-speed gear and provides you with the exact management you want.

Even should you’re not utilizing a Nexia system, ensuring your thermostat is appropriate with each perform of your HVAC system is essential to get essentially the most out of it.

RELATED: One-Stage, Two-Stage & Variable-Pace ACs: Variations & Advantages

Zoned Houses

Zoned houses aren’t the norm, however they do exist. That is when there are separated “zones” in a house that may be heated and cooled individually.

Whereas sensors may be arrange in several zones for a single thermostat to manage, that is undoubtedly not really helpful. You probably have a zoned residence, the perfect resolution goes to be having a thermostat for every zone.

Once they connect with a single air conditioner or furnace, they’ll be controlling among the similar gear. Primarily, although, they’ll alter the dampers in your ductwork and vents to regulate the airflow to every zone.

They’ll additionally talk along with your system. So if one zone is at 100% and the opposite is at 50%, the dampers within the ductwork will alter accordingly, and the blower fan, furnace, and/or A/C unit will alter the speed of airflow that they’re offering to provide the correct CFM (cubic toes per minute) by way of the ductwork to every zone.

Most zoned houses are already arrange like this. It’s uncommon to go from an unzoned residence to at least one that’s zoned (although it’s potential). They are often very best for, say, holding a bed room cool at evening while you aren’t utilizing the remainder of the house, however in addition they should be paired with the correct speaking HVAC expertise.

Value of a Nexia Thermostat

At Fireplace & Ice, we consider Nexia methods are essential to get essentially the most out of a appropriate Trane system. While you set up a full system (each heating and cooling) we embody the thermostat (plus set up) as a part of the deal.

Should you’re solely getting one piece of apparatus put in, or should you’re working with an HVAC contractor who is not’ fairly as beneficiant, chances are you’ll must buy a Nexia thermostat.

Usually, a Nexia will value round $595. This contains all elements and labor. Some pricing guides gained’t embody labor, to allow them to be deceptive. Be sure that labor is included in any quote you obtain.

In uncommon instances the place a relay panel must be put in to supply the correct wiring to the thermostat, the set up of this relay panel can run one other $300-$400. This once more contains elements and labor.

Subscription Charges

To be clear, there’s no subscription charge for Nexia to manage your HVAC gear. Nevertheless, the extra smart-home objects you wish to management, the higher the demand on the expertise.

Nexia presently has plans as little as $4.99 monthly for this extra performance. These extra controls embody smart-home units, sensors, lighting, and a vast variety of cameras all through your property.

Getting the Most From Your Thermostat

Typically we have a tendency to consider thermostats as issues we will set and overlook. And to a sure extent, it’s good figuring out that your thermostat has you coated. You shouldn’t must be worrying about it every day.

If that’s all you ever do with one, although, you’re lacking out on a whole lot of additional performance that may enhance your consolation and effectivity, and doubtlessly the safety of your property as properly.

That’s what Nexia provides. Peace of thoughts by way of its speaking diagnostics, algorithms that study and adapt to your property’s circumstances, and myriad capabilities that will help you run your life.

And don’t overlook about that superior screensaver.

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Wish to see what a brand new system can do in your residence? Examine our service space under to see if we service your space, then give us a name to schedule an appointment. We’re wanting ahead to creating your day higher!